Enterprise demand for forward-deployed engineers projected to surge 2,100% by end of 2026

A Christian & Timbers study projects demand for forward-deployed engineers — technical staff embedded directly in client operations to build AI solutions — to surge 2,100% by end of 2026. Companies planning FDE hires jumped from 5–10% in January to 70% by end of Q2. The report estimates just 2,000 U.S. engineers qualify for enterprise-scale AI work, noting: not 2,000 available — 2,000 total.